A six year research program found that Los Angeles smog was caused by chemical reaction between sunlight on auto and industrial emissions. The first occurrence of smog in Los Angeles was reported on 26 Jul 1943.

Radio Shack introduces the TRS-80 Pocket Computer manufactured by the Sharp Corporation, featuring a 24 character display, QWERTY keyboard, and 1.9kB of programmable memory. Price: US$230

Radio Shack introduces the TRS-80 Color Computer, featuring the Motorola 6809E CPU and 4kB RAM. Sharing the same case, keyboard, and layout as the AgVision/VideoTex terminals, it is hard to tell the TRS-80 Color Computer from its predecessors. Price: US$399

The DNA Advisory Committee of the National Institutes of Health approved experiments in gene therapy. The idea was to insert new genes into body cells to figure out mutation and hopefully cure disease.

Felix Baumgartner becomes the first man to cross the English Channel by unpowered flight. He jumped from a plane about 30,000 feet above Dover, England and glided 22 miles across the Channel in a 10-min flight. Baumgartner was wearing a special suit with carbon-fibre wings across his back.

Google, in a heated debate over copyright law, pushes congress for a new and better copyright law.

Joel Tenenbaum was found liable, after testifying he did it, for violating copyright law in swapping music. Music studios focused on 30 songs. The final result was Tennbaum was ordered to pay $675,000 or $22,500 a song.

A Facebook post of "Where are they now" re-opened a 25 year old murder case where two brothers (Higher Brothers) were found innocent because one person (who thought they were innocent) went looking for clues and found them.

Hotmail announced a revamp of their mail system. Hotmail is now Outlook and includes Facebook, Twitter links.